St. John’s College Leadership

The St. John’s leadership team includes presidents, deans, and senior administrators from the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses, working together to serve the interests of the college as a whole. The college cabinet, led by President Nora Demleitner, oversees collegewide administrative affairs, complementing the work of the faculty Instructional Committees and several campus-specific management committees. Nora Demleitner, as collegewide president and president of the Annapolis campus, reports to the Board of Visitors and Governors, as does Santa Fe President J. Walter Sterling. College leaders report to Demleitner while also serving campus-specific needs.

Presidents

    • Nora Demleitner

      President, Annapolis

    • J. Walter Sterling (A93)

      President, Santa Fe

College Leadership

Profile of  Nora Demleitner

President, Annapolis

Nora Demleitner Profile

About

410-626-2510 | annapolispresidentsoffice(at)sjc.edu

Nora Demleitner became the 25th president of the Annapolis campus in January 2022 and assumed collegewide duties for St. John’s in July 2024. An expert on criminal justice issues, including sentencing guidelines, she was dean of the law schools at Washington & Lee and Hofstra University before bringing her ample experience in academic and institutional leadership to the college. She received her BA from Bates College, her JD from Yale, and her LLM from Georgetown in international and comparative law.

Read

Annapolis President Website

Profile of  J. Walter Sterling (A93)

President, Santa Fe

J. Walter Sterling Profile

About

505-984-6492 | santafe.president(at)sjc.edu

J. Walter Sterling (A93) became the eighth president of the Santa Fe campus in July 2024. He has been a member of the teaching faculty since 2003 and served nine years as campus dean. Over the course of his career, he has been a staunch defender of St. John’s model of liberal education and has led efforts to make it more accessible to many more students from all walks of life. Sterling holds a BA from St. John’s Annapolis, an MA in philosophy from Emory University, and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Read

Santa Fe President Website

Academic Leadership

    • Susan Paalman

      Dean of the College, Annapolis

    • Sarah Davis

      Dean of the College, Santa Fe

    • Brendan Boyle

      Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Annapolis

    • David Carl

      Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Santa Fe

    • Robert Abbott

      Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program, Annapolis

    • Maggie McGuinness

      Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program Santa Fe

College Leadership

Profile of  Susan Paalman

Dean of the College, Annapolis

Susan Paalman Profile

About

410-626-2511 | susan.paalman(at)sjc.edu

Susan “Suzy” Paalman oversees the conduct of the program of instruction in Annapolis. She received her BA in biology and biochemistry from Rice University and her PhD in biophysics and biophysical chemistry from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She has been teaching at St. John’s since 1997 and has previously served as assistant dean and chair of the Hodson Group on readings in biology.

Profile of  Sarah Davis

Dean of the College, Santa Fe

Sarah Davis Profile

About

505-984-6070 | santafe.deansoffice(at)sjc.edu

Sarah Davis supervises the program of instruction on the Santa Fe campus. She received her BA in philosophy and anthropology from Harvard University and her PhD in cultural anthropology from Emory University. Prior to joining the faculty in 2012, she held positions at Time magazine in Paris and American Heritage magazine in New York. Davis is the recipient of the Condon Prize for psychological Anthropology as well as the Marjorie Shostak Prize for Excellence and Humanity in Ethnographic Writing.

Profile of  Brendan Boyle

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Annapolis

Brendan Boyle Profile

About

brendan.boyle(at)sjc.edu

Brendan Boyle is the associate dean for the graduate program on the Annapolis campus, where he is also a member of the faculty. He holds degrees from Princeton University, Cambridge University and the University of Chicago.

Profile of  David Carl

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Santa Fe

David Carl Profile

About

david.carl(at)sjc.edu

David Carl is the associate dean for graduate programs on the Santa Fe campus. He has been a member of the college’s faculty since 2000, and served as assistant dean from 2008-2010. He holds degrees from Pomona College, Claremont Graduate School, and University of California at Davis.

Profile of  Robert Abbott

Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program, Annapolis

Robert Abbott Profile

About

410-626-2512 | robert.abbott(at)sjc.edu

Robert Abbott (A04) oversees the college’s support for students: academic resources, public safety, housing, athletics, and student life, among other areas. He has been teaching at St. John’s since 2013.

Profile of  Maggie McGuinness

Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program Santa Fe

Maggie McGuinness Profile

About

505-984-6174 | meagan.mcguinness(at)sjc.edu

Maggie McGuinness oversees the college’s support for students in academics, health and safety, housing, and student activities, among other areas. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University, master’s from Texas State University, and a PhD in American literature/poetics from University of Oregon. She has been teaching at St. John’s since 2015.

Administrative Leadership

    • Benjamin Baum

      Vice President of Enrollment

    • Carol Carpenter

      Vice President of Communications and Marketing

    • Phelosha Collaros

      Vice President for Board Governance and Strategic Outcomes

    • Ally Gontang-Highfield

      Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO

    • Scott Greatorex

      Vice President of Advancement & Alumni Engagement

    • Danielle Lico

      Vice President of Student Affairs

    • Christine Guevara

      Vice President of Student Engagement

College Leadership

Profile of  Benjamin Baum

Vice President of Enrollment

Benjamin Baum Profile

About

410-626-2523 | benjamin.baum(at)sjc.edu

Benjamin Baum joined the college as director of admissions in Annapolis in 2015 and was promoted to vice president of enrollment in 2018. He oversees admissions and financial aid on both campuses. He holds a BA from Amherst College, MSt from the University of Oxford, and JD from the University of Michigan.

Profile of  Carol Carpenter

Vice President of Communications and Marketing

Carol Carpenter Profile

About

505-984-6102 | 323-459-4661 (cell) | carol.carpenter(at)sjc.edu

Carol Carpenter oversees communications and creative strategy collegewide. Carpenter came to St. John’s from New York City Outward Bound, where she was the communications director and an annual giving officer. Previously, she worked for many years in advertising and publishing at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. A native New Mexican, she holds a creative writing degree from College of Santa Fe and a master’s degree in dramatic writing from the University of Southern California.

Profile of  Phelosha Collaros

Vice President for Board Governance and Strategic Outcomes

Phelosha Collaros Profile

About

505-984-6101 | phelosha.collaros(at)sjc.edu

Phelosha Collaros (SF00) holds a key role in the oversight and implementation of the college’s governance structure, ensuring effective communication and policy management with the Board of Visitors and Governors (BVG). Additionally, she is responsible for building strong connections with individuals and organizations who seek educational opportunities and share our passion for lifelong learning. Before joining St. John’s College as the Vice President for Advancement/Development and Alumni Relations, Phelosha was the foundation director for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. As a Certified Quality Improvement Associate, she holds degrees in business and public administration from Walden University.

Profile of  Ally Gontang-Highfield

Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO

Ally Gontang-Highfield Profile

About

410-626-2514 | ally.gontang(at)sjc.edu

Ally Gontang-Highfield oversees collegewide functions for finance, IT services, human resources, facilities, and operations. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, she has managed financial and administrative functions for nonprofit and higher education institutions in Maryland and Washington, DC. She joined the college in 2017 as the Treasurer in Annapolis and was appointed Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO in 2023.

Profile of  Scott Greatorex

Vice President of Advancement & Alumni Engagement

Scott Greatorex Profile

About

scott.greatorex(at)sjc.edu

Scott Greatorex joined St. John’s as executive director of development in 2018 and helped lead the college’s successful Freeing Minds campaign. Scott has more than 35 years of experience in higher education, including 23 years in enrollment management and 15 years in advancement at Johns Hopkins University and Washington College prior to St. John’s. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Maine and two master’s degrees from Loyola University Maryland.

Profile of  Danielle Lico

Vice President of Student Affairs

Danielle Lico Profile

About

danielle.lico(at)sjc.edu

Danielle Lico joined the Annapolis campus as executive director of campus health and wellness in October of 2018 and was promoted to Vice President of Student Affairs in March 2023. In her role, she oversees residence life, public safety, student conduct and community standards, new student orientation, parent and family engagement, the Student Health and Wellness Center, Title IX, and ADA compliance. She holds a BA from the George Washington University in Psychology and an MA from the George Washington University in Sociology. Specific areas of interest include college student wellness, addiction and recovery, and suicide prevention.

Profile of  Christine Guevara

Vice President of Student Engagement

Christine Guevara Profile

About

505-984-6128 | christine.guevara(at)sjc.edu

Christine Guevara joined the Santa Fe campus as executive director of campus health and wellness in August of 2018. She oversees student life, public safety, food service, health services, therapy services, student activities center, outdoor program, ADA, Title IX and F1 international support. She holds a BA from the College of Santa Fe in Humanities, MA from the College of Santa Fe in Educational Leadership and Ed.D from the University of Liverpool in Higher Education Leadership.

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